Location Information
First things first!The information presented on this page does not imply permission to collect!
It is presented
for informational purposes only.
You as an individual collector, bear the responsibility for obtaining the correct permission(s) for visiting or collecting at each site. You are also responsible for you own safety. Know your safety equipment and use it. If you are not familiar with it please read the AFMS Code of Ethics |
Mineral Resources Data System
This link will take you to the
Mineral Resources Data
System
which is run by the USGS.
It brings together data on mines, quarries, gravel pits and other mineral operations for the whole country, and allows you to display that information in your web browser, or download the information for use with other mapping products (Delorme, Garmin, Google, GIS etc.)
You can download the data for the entire country (266,000 locations!) or state by state and even individual counties.
The data in the system is sometimes less than accurate, as it was drawn from old sources and not checked against reality. It does give clues as to what might be found where and possible areas to explore.
This page allows you to view the data in your web browser (Doesn't seem to work with the Google browser, does with IE and Firefox) but you have to scroll down to find the line with your information. It also allows you to get data for a selected area.
Here is a subset of the Raw data presented on Google Maps
If you click on some of the dots in the lake you'll note what I meant about some inaccuracies in the data. I'm pretty sure the North Kearsarge isn't a few miles off the shore of Isle Royale. Most of these glareing errors are due to transposed, dropped, and misentered digits in the coordinates. These are relatively easy to fix.
| Here! are the latest version of the maps. Now split up by county! Keweenaw Houghton Ontonagon 
Indicates a Copper Mine.
Indicates a Copper ProspectOther Symbols are variations on these two. Bright Yellow indicates Minerals other than Copper. Black indicates a Pit or Quarry Red indicates Questionable data or location. A black dot at the center of the symbol indicates no known name. |
A Location Guide for Rock Hounds in the United States
The following book may be downloaded for your use.It was compiled from numerous sources by Robert C. Beste a geologist from Missouri.
I find it handy when I'm traveling.
A
Location Guide for Rock Hounds in the United States 2005 Ed. Part 1 Table of Contents to Idaho 155 pp.
(1.96 MB) Min-Loc05-1
PDF Part 2 Illinois to North Dakota
186 pp. (1.86 MB) Min-Loc05-2
PDF Part 3 Ohio to Appendix 193 pp. (1.24 MB) Min-Loc05-3
PDF
Mr. Beste has a number of other things of
interest to Geologists and Rockhounds on his website. Take a look here and here.
Fossil Locations
| This is a Google map showing fossil locations for the State of Michigan. |
| The information for this map was gathered by Donnald
Kenney and released under a Creative
Commons License. I have, to the best of my ability, corrected location errors and supplied location data where possible. But with over 200 listings there are bound to be some errors and omisions. Additionaly, as Mr. Kenney points out on his page, with the passage of time conditions may/will have changed at these sites. Some will be covered but others nearby with similar material may have opened. Use these sites to locate prospective areas rather than as an absolute guide. Mr. Kenney has created a database of fossil locations for the entire country and continues to update and improve it. It should prove usefull for any fossil collector. Give it a look! And Please send me updated information if you have it! webmaster (at) michrocks.org |
Download Free USGS Topo Maps for the entire US.
The Libre map project
Data page
This was a project where Individuals digitized USGS maps and submitted them to a common pool.
Now the rest of us benefit.
Fossil maps
http://www.texaspaleo.com/usmaps/paleosites.html
More Google Rockhound Maps
These maps have been created by individuals around the country
and may vary in quality
Mid-Atlantic fossil sites
Map
My Fossil Hunting Locations
Map
Cincinnati-Area Fossil sites
Map
Ontario Rock and Mineral Collecting
Map
Mineral Collecting
Map
Victor Valley Rocks
Map
Shark Fossils
Map
Chicago-area Silurian Trilobite localities
Map
Fossil sites near Montreal
Map
Fossils in Nova Scotia
Map